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Background to the need to revise the
standard
The publication of the original Standard for Headship in
1998 and the related development of the Scottish
Qualification for Headship, have made a significant
contribution to improving the quality of leadership in
Scottish schools. Since then, a number of other
publications have developed our understanding of the
leadership role of headteachers. These include:
Ambitious, Excellent Schools
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/aesaa-00.asp
Improving Leadership in Scottish Schools
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/deleted/library3/education/ilss-00.asp
A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/tp21a-00.asp
Standards in Scotland's Schools Act 2000
http://www.scotland-legislation.hmso.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/acts2000/20000006.htm
The two other professional Standards for the
teaching profession in Scotland (Standard for Full
Registration and Standard for Chartered Teacher)
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/sfct-00.asp
http://www.gtcs.org.uk/probation.aspx?MenuItemID=456&ID=&selection=3
CPD for Educational Leaders
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/cpdel-00.asp
School Leadership and Collegiality
http://www.scottishcouncils.org/tact/TAC%20Team%20briefing%20papers/Forms/AllItems.htm
How Good Is Our School (second edition)
http://www.hmie.gov.uk/documents/publication/cd/frames.htm
Curriculum for Excellence
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/cerv-00.asp
Guidance for Integrated Children's Services
Plans 2005-2008 (
SEED November 2004)
In addition, the values and commitments, the knowledge
and understanding and the personal and professional
abilities required to be effective in the role of
headteacher are continually changing in the light of the
National Debate and the strategic direction for improvement
set out in the National Priorities in Education, combined
with the move towards tougher, more intelligent
accountabilities as outlined in the actions in "ambitious,
excellent schools". In this changing context, if
headteachers are to be able to lead improvement for the
benefit of the young people in our schools, they must
continue to develop professionally in all aspects of the
Standard.
There is a national consensus in Scotland that effective
school leadership lies at the heart of school improvement
and the achievement of excellence.
HMIE reports that most of our schools
are very well led, but there is a clear need to avoid
complacency and to drive forward if we are to ensure our
school leaders are equipped to meet the many new challenges
that lie ahead, and to deliver a world class education to
every Scottish child.
Although headteachers are accountable for the quality of
education in schools, they are not the only source of
leadership. Excellent headteachers contribute to the
development of leadership at all levels and among all
learners. Schools with such leadership capacity reflect the
democratic values and participative citizenship on which
Scottish education is based.
This wider context of change and improvement is
reflected in this draft revised Standard. This Standard
states clearly the central responsibilities of headship,
then goes on to analyse the professional practice required
to address these concerns.
This Standard also contains an appendix exemplifying
good practice. Serving or aspirant headteachers may wish to
use this appendix to reflect on their own practice against
the Standard, in the context either of review or
development.
The role of the headteacher
The headteacher acts as the leading professional in a
school and, as an officer of the local authority, provides
vision, leadership and direction to ensure high standards
of education for all the children and young people in their
care. To achieve this, the headteacher works with and is
accountable to others to ensure that the school is
organised and managed to meet its aims and targets, and is
a creative, disciplined learning environment. In so doing,
the headteacher works with a range of others - staff,
children and young people, parents, local community
members, local authority officers and other agencies
involved in services for children and their families.
The Standard for Headship
The purpose of this document is to set out the key
elements of professionalism and expertise required of those
who lead and manage our schools. It defines the
professional actions required of effective headteachers,
acknowledges the changing context in which they operate and
takes account of the many challenges which they face. It
serves to inform, challenge and enthuse headteachers, and
those aspiring to headship, and to offer a template against
which they can match their experiences and skills in order
to determine their strengths and areas for development.
The Standard analyses the role of the headteacher into
Professional actions, and three
contributory elements which are:
- Strategic vision, values and commitments,
- Knowledge and understanding, and
- Personal and interpersonal skills
Although these 4 elements are listed and detailed
separately, it is important to emphasise that in
professional practice, they are always fully
interdependent. How they interdepend in practice will
reflect the individual contexts in which different
headteachers work. The diagram below outlines the
relationship between the 4 elements of the Standard and the
central responsibilities of the headteacher.
Professional actions of the
headteacher:
This element outlines the main areas of professional
action for headteachers. If headteachers are to be
effective, they require
both to lead
and to manage. Leadership develops shared
vision, inspiration and commitment. Management develops
systems which limit uncertainty, even out differences,
improve consistency and predictability in delivering the
service.
Five main areas of professional action are identified
below by the Standard. However in practice most actions and
decisions taken by headteachers involve several areas at
the same time.
It would be difficult, for example, to lead learning and
teaching without also leading people; difficult to lead
improvement without also using resources effectively. The
outline of each of the five areas included here in the
Standard is further illustrated through the examples and
illustrations in the appendix. The order in which they are
described does not imply any particular hierarchy or
priority.
The effective practice of headship involves using the
three contributory elements - strategic vision, values and
commitments; knowledge and understanding; and personal and
interpersonal skills - in making good decisions and taking
the right action in specific school situations to enable
young people to become successful learners, confident
individuals, responsible citizens and effective
contributors.
Headteachers are able to:
Lead and manage learning and teaching
Ensuring that effective learning and teaching takes
place is a central responsibility of headship. Headteachers
develop a culture of respect and good behaviour, create an
appropriate ethos, set high expectations, support and
encourage good practice and regularly monitor and evaluate
the quality of learning in the school. They embrace the
principles of inclusion, and provide pastoral care to
children and young people. They offer effective leadership
and management of the overall curriculum, to ensure that
school based decisions are in accordance with the general
principles of good curriculum design outlined in "
A Curriculum for Excellence".
Lead and develop people
Headteachers require to work within a broad range of
accountabilities in order to achieve school goals. They
will promote ambition, demonstrate a clear commitment to
collegiality and to developing, empowering and supporting
effective teams and individuals. This includes building
school capacity by developing leadership in others. By
engaging with those in the school community and beyond,
they will build a learning community which supports
achievement and attainment. In taking these actions,
headteachers work within the structure of employment
legislation, and national and local agreements and policies
governing employment.
Lead improvement
Headteachers support and maintain existing good
practice, and encourage and promote constant improvement in
the development of children and young people. They
demonstrate personal commitment to continuous improvement,
together with skills in strategic planning, in implementing
change, in the use of evidence to judge the need for and
effectiveness of change, and in providing support for
staff, children and young people and parents.
Use resources effectively
Headteachers make best strategic and operational use of
available resources to create, maintain and monitor an
appropriate learning environment for effective learning and
teaching, and to support continuous improvement. In taking
these actions, headteachers take due account of audit,
child safety, health and safety requirements and other
legislative and policy requirements in relation to public
service and public spending.
Build community
Headteachers develop and maintain partnerships with
parents, children and young people, other services and
agencies and in doing so extend the educational vision to
embrace an agenda of lifelong learning. And they create a
culture of respect and inclusion and a common commitment to
the broader community and to the intellectual, spiritual,
moral, social and cultural wellbeing of children and their
families.
Contributory elements:
The next three elements in the Standard are
expressed through effective professional action.
Different headteachers in different situations call on
different 'blends' of these elements.
Strategic vision, values and
commitments
This element is concerned with the headteacher's
professional values and commitment to children and young
people, to equality of opportunity, to ethical practice,
democratic values and to lifelong learning. Headteachers
exemplify in their personal and professional life, and in
the way they lead the learning community, the vision and
ethos they seek to develop throughout the school.
- Vision and standards:
The headteacher leads in the creation of a
shared strategic vision for the school, which inspires
and motivates children and young people, staff and all
members of the school community and its partners and
sets high standards for every learner. - Integrity and ethical practice:
The headteacher behaves with integrity and
articulates and exemplifies an ethical perspective in
relation to their own and the school's practice and
organisation. - Democratic values:
The headteacher works with children and young
people, staff, parents and others to promote
participative citizenship, inclusion, enterprise,
democratic values and a culture of respect within the
school community and beyond. - Learning for life:
The headteacher models their commitment to
learning for life as the school's 'leading
learner'.
Knowledge and understanding
This element identifies the knowledge and understanding
of contemporary developments in teaching and learning,
education, schools, schooling and society which are
required by successful headteachers.
- Learning and teaching:
Headteachers require an up to date knowledge and
understanding of research in learning and teaching and
its implications for improving practice, and need to be
aware of quality assurance strategies. - Education policy, schools and
schooling:
Headteachers require a knowledge and critical
understanding of contemporary developments in education
policy, schools and schooling, including the vision of
what integrated children and young people's services
should offer. - Social and environmental trends and
developments:
Headteachers require a knowledge and
understanding of contemporary developments in society
(including trends and changes in family patterns, work
patterns, the media, leisure and politics) and in the
environment. - Leadership and management:
Headteachers will demonstrate a knowledge and
understanding of leadership concepts and practice, and
of strategic and operational management.
Personal and interpersonal skills
This element describes a range of personal and
interpersonal skills on which headteachers draw in leading
effectively. For maximum impact, successful headteachers
will exercise these skills in combinations appropriate to
the context in which they are leading.
- Demonstrating self-awareness and inspiring and
motivating others:
Headteachers regularly review their practice and
implement change in their leadership and management
approaches. They build and sustain personal credibility
by teaching effectively. They display confidence and
courage in the way they deal with criticism and
conflict, and work to create a positive atmosphere
within the educational community. - Judging wisely and deciding
appropriately:
Headteachers define problems clearly and take a
positive solution-focussed approach to their
resolution. They know how and when to make decisions
and use evidence and information to support and inform
their judgements. - Communicating effectively:
Headteachers are effective communicators within
the school and the wider community. They listen well,
give clear expression to their ideas and feelings in
person, give feedback well and can shape effective
organisational communication. They are comfortable
using a variety of modern media. - Showing political insight:
Headteachers have a good understanding of the
relationship between schools and society. They
understand and take account of the political and social
context of educational policy.
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